About Mariposa

The town of Mariposa, first settled in 1849, is the southernmost in the Gold Rush chain of towns.  The streets follow the original street grid laid out by John C. Fremont in 1850.  Several disastrous early fires convinced settlers to rebuild with stone, brick and adobe.  Consequently, many of today's existing structures in the historic downtown had been built by the late 1850s, with most of the remaining ones completed by 1900.  Because they have always been in use, the old buildings haven't had to be restored or recreated.
Change has come gracefully to Mariposa. It has retained the small town charm of a bygone era, so you won't see strip malls or chain stores, and Mariposa remains one of a handful of California towns without a stop light.

For a more complete history of Mariposa check out the Mariposa Museum's page on the history of our town.